MONTEVIDEO – About 400 costumed dachshunds and their owners gathered in Montevideo over the weekend in response to an invitation on social media in Uruguay, resulting in an event so successful that it surprised even organizers of the dog mob.

“We did it starting with a Facebook page called Salchichas Uruguay (Wiener Dogs Uruguay), and when the list grew to almost 1,000 members we decided to get together,” Valeria Anastasia, organizer of the first dachshund rally in Uruguay, told EFE.

“It literally got out of control. We thought there would be, maybe, 50 wiener dogs and we registered almost 300,” then the figure kept growing on Sunday as the afternoon advanced, and by the last count there were 400 dogs attending, Anastasia said.

The original idea was to invite dachshund owners to meet, play and join some demonstrations and races, but ultimately the park in this city by the River Plate where the crowd of humans and dogs met proved too small for all the activities, Anastasia said.

There were raffles and prizes, with one awarded to the best dressed dog.

Among the most striking costumes were some dachshunds wearing shirts with The Rolling Stones logo, since the band recently performed in Montevideo, and doggie versions of jerseys with the colors of Peñarol or Nacional, the two most popular soccer teams in the country.

Other owners chose to dress their dogs in more traditional fashions, like a homely robe, or a polished hat on the pet’s head.

The gathering was free, but there were rules, with dogs required to be on leashes and no females in heat allowed, although many dog owners were looking for a “girlfriend” for their best friend.

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